The Boneyard party had faded into quiet, the last embers of the bonfire glowing faintly. JJ Maybank lay sprawled in the sand, staring up at the stars. You sat beside him, close enough to feel his presence but careful not to cross an invisible line.

“Quiet night,” JJ said, his voice softer than usual.

“You’re not exactly known for quiet,” you teased, brushing sand off your hands.

He smirked, tilting his head to look at you. “I can do quiet. Sometimes.”

“Sometimes,” you echoed, smiling. There was something unguarded about him tonight, something that made you hesitate to speak too loud, like it might break the moment.

For a while, neither of you said anything, just listened to the waves and the crackle of the dying fire. Then you broke the silence. “Do you ever think about leaving?”

JJ sighed, propping himself up on his elbows. “Yeah. All the time. Just getting on a boat, finding somewhere new where nobody knows me.”

“Why don’t you?”

He hesitated, his eyes meeting yours, the flicker of a smile playing on his lips. “Because some things are worth staying for.”

Your breath hitched, the weight of his words sinking in. You could feel the shift, the unspoken tension that had always been there between you, now impossible to ignore.

“JJ…” you started, but he shook his head, cutting you off gently.

“Pogue rule,” he said, forcing a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Yeah. Pogue rule.”

The two of you sat in silence after that, the stars above witnessing the words you couldn’t say. For now, the line between you remained unbroken, but the pull was undeniable, and you both knew it was only a matter of time.